SFS Chapter 22 The Sea of No Return
Chapter 22 The Sea of No Return
Xu Xiaoxiao looked up at her master's pensive face and asked softly, "Master, how should we face this loneliness?"
Li Changchun came back to his senses, sighed softly, and said, "Only by firmly believing in the Dao in our hearts and finding our own value and meaning in cultivation can we gain a deeper understanding of all things in the world as our realm continues to improve. Although emotions may fade with time, those beautiful memories will become our strength and support us to continue moving forward."
"I understand. Cherish the present." After hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao's mindset instantly brightened, and she stopped worrying.
A few days later, they packed their bags, rented a carriage, and the carriage slowly drove down the street. Xu Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain and took one last look at Jicheng.
"Master, where are we going next?" Xu Xiaoxiao simply came out and sat down next to Li Changchun. Looking at her master's energetic face, she also began to look forward to the next stop.
"We're going to the place where the sun rises in the east. There's a sea there called the Boundless Sea that leads to the cultivation world, but because the spiritual energy is so thin, few people know about it."
"Master, did you come from there too?" Xu Xiaoxiao was very curious about what magical things would happen.
"Yes, that is currently the only passage connecting the two worlds." He found this passage after searching through many ancient books. After finding it, he discovered that it was a damaged ancient formation. Fortunately, he was proficient in formations, otherwise he might not have been able to repair it.
As soon as Li Changchun left the city gate, he quickened his pace and headed east.
They stayed at inns whenever they found one, and pitched tents when there weren't any. They ate plenty of wild rabbits, pheasants, and fish along the way, and Xu Xiaoxiao actually gained weight instead of losing it.
That day, they came to a dense forest. As darkness fell, Li Changchun was about to find a place to set up camp when he heard faint cries for help.
The master and disciple exchanged a glance. When they heard the cries for help, Li Changchun's eyes sharpened, and a sense of mission welled up in his heart. He thought to himself, "A cultivator should help those in distress."
At the same time, he shouted to Xu Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, come with me to save people!"
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded without hesitation, silently thinking, "I'll get another chance to hone my skills."
An old herb gatherer was seen being entangled by a huge python. The python's scales gleamed coldly in the dim light, and its tongue flicked out.
Li Changchun swiftly drew his sword, a flash of light emanating from its blade, and his sword aura surged like a rainbow, hurtling straight towards the python.
Sensing the threat, the python released the old man and turned to pounce on Li Changchun.
After a fierce struggle, Li Changchun seized the opportunity and stabbed the python in a vital spot with his sword, causing the python to collapse to the ground with a thud.
After being rescued, the old man was extremely grateful and told them that there was a hidden valley ahead where many rare herbs and fruits grew.
After rescuing the old man, Li Changchun said politely, "Old man, there's no need to be so polite. This is our duty. Could you tell me more about the valley you mentioned earlier?"
He harbored a glimmer of hope for the spiritual herbs and medicines in the valley, perhaps he could find herbs that were not found in other cultivation worlds.
The old man looked at them gratefully, his voice trembling: "My two benefactors, the valley is just beyond that mist ahead. I once glimpsed a light flickering in the valley, which must contain something extraordinary. However, there seems to be something strange about the valley. No matter which way I go, I am still in the same place. Perhaps I just don't have the opportunity. I almost lost my life just now."
Xu Xiaoxiao said excitedly, "Master, it sounds like a magical place! Maybe we can find something different here."
She was overjoyed, and her mind was already filled with images of the rare treasures in the valley.
This area is quite close to the Boundless Sea, so it's normal for rare treasures to appear if it absorbs spiritual energy.
Li Changchun nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Although there is an opportunity, there may also be hidden dangers. However, now that we know about it, we should investigate. Xiaoxiao, don't be careless."
While admonishing his disciple, he weighed the pros and cons in his mind, but his desire for cultivation resources still drove him to decide to move forward.
The two took antidote pills to prevent the fog from being poisonous.
The master and his apprentice stepped into the mist-shrouded valley, where visibility was extremely low due to the swirling fog.
Xu Xiaoxiao followed closely behind Li Changchun, feeling both excited and a little nervous. She muttered to herself, "Master, this fog is so thick. What if some powerful monster suddenly appears?"
Li Changchun focused intently, scanning his surroundings warily, and replied, "Don't panic. If anything seems amiss, I will handle it. First, find the source of the spiritual energy fluctuations."
He also found it strange that the spiritual energy fluctuations in this hidden valley were so great that even his suppressed body could absorb some of it.
They moved slowly forward, when suddenly they heard a strange sound, like the low growl of some kind of giant beast.
Xu Xiaoxiao's heart suddenly raced, and she unconsciously moved closer to Li Changchun. Li Changchun gripped the hilt of his sword and whispered, "Don't be afraid. It might be the guardian beast of the valley. Don't make any rash moves."
At this moment, Li Changchun pondered a solution, worried about his disciple's safety but also unwilling to miss out on any potentially valuable treasures.
As they ventured deeper, a wondrous sea of flowers appeared before them, the blossoms shimmering with an eerie light. At its center stood an ancient spirit tree, bearing several fruits radiating powerful spiritual energy. Xu Xiaoxiao exclaimed in surprise, "Master, look at those fruits! They're sure to be of great use!"
Li Changchun frowned. He sensed abnormal fluctuations in the surrounding spiritual energy, as if some kind of array or trap was hidden there. He said, "Don't rush. There may be danger around here. Let me investigate carefully."
Although Xu Xiaoxiao was anxious, she knew that her master was absolutely right, so she could only suppress her inner impulse and wait anxiously on the side.
Li Changchun cautiously approached the sea of flowers and the spirit tree. He released a wisp of spiritual power and slowly probed forward. The moment the spiritual power touched them, a slight ripple appeared in the surrounding space, indicating that there was indeed an array.
He secretly rejoiced that he hadn't rashly barged in, and began to carefully study the patterns of the formation and the direction of the spiritual energy flow.
Xu Xiaoxiao watched her master nervously from the side, not daring to breathe.
After a while, Li Changchun seemed to have found the key to the formation. He turned to Xu Xiaoxiao and said, "Xiaoxiao, I will try to break this formation in a moment. If anything goes wrong, you should retreat to a safe place immediately."
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded quickly, silently cheering for her master.
Li Changchun quickly formed hand seals, sending runes into the formation. The formation began to flash with dazzling light, and a powerful force began to backfire.
Li Changchun's expression was solemn as he increased his spiritual energy output. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead. His body could only absorb a limited amount of spiritual energy, so he was struggling.
With Li Changchun's insistence, the formation finally emitted a loud bang and then slowly dissipated. They breathed a sigh of relief and were about to walk towards the spirit tree to pick the spirit fruit when a transparent barrier suddenly rose around the spirit tree. Then a spirit appeared and looked at the master and disciple and said, "This is a treasure of the spirit realm. If you want to obtain it, you must pass my test."
Li Changchun stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Please, senior, explain the contents of the test. My master and I will do our utmost." The spirit slowly said, "You must withstand the spiritual power attack I release within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and you cannot use any defensive magic treasures."
The spiritual fruit in this treasure of the spiritual realm is shaped like a transparent crystal ball, with colorful light flowing on its surface, as if a magnificent starry sky is sealed inside.
Each spiritual fruit exudes a rich spiritual energy, which lingers around the fruit like a tangible mist.
Its effects are extremely valuable to cultivators. First, consuming spiritual fruits can greatly enhance spiritual power.
For a cultivator with shallow cultivation, a single spiritual fruit might be enough to help her break through her current cultivation bottleneck, allowing spiritual energy to flow more smoothly through her meridians and expanding the capacity of her meridians.
Secondly, the spiritual fruit also has the effect of cleansing the marrow and strengthening the bones.
It can expel impurities accumulated in the body of cultivators over a long period of cultivation, making the body purer and greatly enhancing its affinity for spiritual energy.
It's like reforging a somewhat dull sword to make it sharper and better able to absorb and utilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Moreover, the leaves on the spirit tree are also rare treasures.
Refining the leaves into elixirs can enhance the spiritual awareness of cultivators, enabling them to more keenly perceive fluctuations in the surrounding spiritual energy during cultivation, anticipate enemy movements in battle, or play a crucial role in searching for spiritual objects or exploring secret realms.
In short, this spiritual treasure is an extremely rare and precious opportunity for Li Changchun and his disciples on their path of cultivation.